


Irreplaceable

by Rosie2009



Series: Descendants Fanfiction [34]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), Disney - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:48:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22889479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosie2009/pseuds/Rosie2009
Summary: Mal has been spending an increased amount of time with Uma. Evie's okay with this. What Evie's not okay with is that they purposefully exclude her from every activity as of late and when Mal's forgotten all about Evie on Evie's birthday, Evie loses all semblances of okay. Primarily Evie and Mal sisterly/best friend feels, some Core Four family feels, and hints of Jaudrey, Bal, and Huma.
Relationships: Ben & Evie (Disney: Descendants), Ben/Mal (Disney: Descendants), Evie & Audrey Rose (Disney), Evie & Carlos de Vil, Evie & Celia Facilier, Evie & Dizzy Tremaine, Evie & Hades (Disney), Evie & Jay & Mal & Carlos de Vil, Evie & Jay (Disney), Evie & Li Lonnie, Evie & Mal (Disney), Gil & Harry Hook, Harry Hook/Uma, Jay & Carlos De Vil, Jay & Mal (Disney), Jay/Audrey Rose (Disney), Mal & Carlos de Vil, Mal & Uma (Disney)
Series: Descendants Fanfiction [34]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1252532
Kudos: 29





	Irreplaceable

“You are not serious,” Mal spoke, shaking her head as she lay there on the couch, her head in Evie’s lap comfortably as Evie read aloud a post from Auragram.

“Yes. I am. She really said that she is the fairest of them all. So dramatic. I wonder who in their right mind would say that all the time,” Evie joked, hinting at how she was on the Isle, and Mal snorted at her.

It was a Saturday, and Evie had come over to see Mal at her and Ben’s castle as Evie did all the time. Her and Mal were comfortably relaxed, simply enjoying their time together as they talked about everything and anything. At this point, they were on the topic of the stupidity of Sarah White and how she portrayed herself on her Auragram page.

“Yeah. I wonder.” They both shared a laugh, reveling in how they had both changed so much from the people that they used to be.

“You know, that all seems so far away, doesn’t it?” Mal questioned, and Evie hummed softly in agreement as she looked down at her best friend.

“It really does. But I must say, you have grown into a beautiful, strong young woman,” Evie complimented her younger sister, tucking a strand of hair behind Mal’s ear. Mal smiled at her, closing her eyes as she enjoyed Evie’s gentle touch. Evie absently ran her fingers through Mal’s hair. Mal had been growing it out and Evie was immensely appreciative of that fact. Mal needed some long hair. That way Evie and Dizzy had more options when Mal wanted it styled.

However, before they could talk any longer, there was a knock at the door. Mal didn’t move at all, never opening her eyes until there was another knock.

“Are you going to go and get that?” Evie questioned, laughing at Mal as she never made a single move to get up and answer the door.

“No. You’re comfy to lay on. I’m fine,” Mal told her, and Evie just shook her head fondly as she stroked Mal’s head. Mal just snuggled deeper into Evie.

“Yo! Let me in!” Uma called loudly from outside the door, and Mal got up from Evie immediately, heading over for the door. Evie furrowed her brow but largely brushed it off. After all, it didn’t really bother her that Mal was so excited to see Uma, despite how she had just acted like Evie was more important before Uma came into the picture.

Evie turned on the couch, watching as Mal opened the door and received Uma warmly.

“What’s going on?” Mal asked, a big grin on her face, and Evie tilted her head slightly, watching the exchange with a happy smile.

“Well, actually, I need you to come with me. I got this thing I need some help with,” Uma told her, and Evie raised an eyebrow curiously.

“Sure, let’s do it,” Mal told her.

“What’s the thing?” Evie asked sweetly, looking at her sister and the pirate. They both stopped, looking almost surprised. It was as if Mal had totally forgotten that Evie was there with them.

“Nothing super important,” Uma immediately replied, and Mal and Uma shared a grin easily. Evie looked between them curiously, but stood up, starting to approach them as she got ready to accompany them.

“Well, let’s go, then,” Evie told them, reaching for her purse. Uma shook her head immediately, patting Mal’s arm fondly.

“Nah, I kind of need Mal for this one,” Uma clarified to Evie, and Evie stopped, gazing at the two former rivals. This was completely strange. They had never excluded Evie from hanging out with them before, and to be honest, it sort of stung.

“Sure. See you later, E,” Mal bid Evie goodbye, leaning forward and embracing Evie from the side. Evie returned it with a bit less enthusiasm, somewhat befuddled by what had just happened.

Uma started out the door and Mal followed her. Evie furrowed her brow as she watched the two of them leave. Evie couldn’t help but feel a bit hurt at the fact that Mal had so easily agreed with Uma’s proposition that they leave Evie there. Mal actually seemed to completely forget about her as soon as Uma came into the picture.

But Evie was sure that everything was fine. After all, this was her and Mal. Nothing ever happened to what her and Mal had.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

“Hey, no time to talk, I gotta go meet Uma for something!” Mal called, squeezing Evie’s arm on her way by, and Evie’s mouth hung open in her unspoken sentence, unable to force her voice to come out as strongly as she would’ve liked.

“Okay… You have fun,” Evie told her, her rouged lips curling in a sweet smile as she tried to look just as positive and upbeat as she always did.

However, as soon as Mal disappeared, Evie’s smile dropped, and her eyes softened into a melancholy expression. For the third time this week, Mal had hardly spared the time of day for Evie. And it was only Monday.

But Evie thought that Mal would at least wish her a happy birthday. It was March ninth already, and Evie was beginning to wonder if Mal even realized it. Everyone had already sent her a birthday text or put up a birthday post on Facelook. It wasn’t even that she was seeking an overly large amount of attention because it was her birthday. It was just that Mal had completely forgotten about her.

Evie sighed, her lips trembling slightly as she tried to regain control over herself. She knew that Mal was just enjoying a new friendship with Uma, even if Mal did forget her birthday. There was logically nothing to worry about. Mal would eventually remember, and furthermore, people always spent more time on relationships that they were trying to establish and stabilize, depending on the old relationships’ strength to withhold the test of time. Evie should be flattered, really, that Mal thought that their relationship was so strong.

But Evie wasn’t flattered at all. In fact, not a single bone in her body felt flattered or any other sort of positive emotion as a result of this repetitive neglect. Evie felt tears building in her eyes, and she turned away, starting down the hall of the castle as she resolved to go and sign a few bits of paperwork that she was required to work through as Royal Advisor.

This was tearing Evie apart. This entire ordeal was tearing Evie apart, and there was positively nothing she could do about it. It would be selfish to ask Mal to leave Uma in favor of spending time with Evie, and Evie was simply not willing to drop to that level, despite how needy- ahem, slightly neglected- that she might have been.

What if Mal liked Uma better than Evie? Evie was, after all, so different from Mal. Uma shared so many more common views with the faerie, and it would make sense that as the daughters of two of the most magical mothers on the Isle, they would get along well.

And what did Evie have going for her? She was the daughter of a petty woman that called herself Queen that tried to put a fourteen-year-old to sleep forever. Compared to two women that had attempted to conquer entire kingdoms, one above sea level and one below, Evie had nothing at all. She had no evil background. Evie didn’t pride herself on how evil her parent was or was not, but she certainly worried about sharing a common background with Mal. At this rate, one could likely say that she had it easy on the Isle compared to Mal and Uma.

The two also had a more friendly history at a younger age. They were actually friends long before Mal and Evie became friends, despite the fact that they had turned rivals and enemies. They still had that shared history together. Evie’s first impression on Mal was making the poor faerie terribly and bitterly jealous all because of something that Grimhilde did to spite Maleficent.

Perhaps Evie’s worst fear of all was that, little by little, Uma was replacing Evie, sliding into Evie’s old place by Mal’s side.

Evie opened Ben’s study door, and she pushed through it carefully, trying to keep her face neutral in case that Ben was already in there. Thankfully for Evie, she didn’t have to keep her façade, since Ben was nowhere to be seen.

Evie sighed deeply, heading over to Ben’s desk to look for the papers that she would need to work on. She sifted through the well-organized drawer on the left as she stood near Ben’s office chair. Evie finally found the group of them that she needed, and she started over to the couch so that she could lean on the coffee table to sign the documents.

Evie plopped down on the sofa, not really in the mood to exercise proper etiquette. Evie’s mind immediately went to how she would normally be spending this time with Mal. Mal would be reading the documents aloud in humorous, stuffy voices, and they’d both be in stitches by the time it was over.

But Mal was busy with Uma. It would be alright, Evie assured herself. As long as Mal was having fun and enjoying herself, Evie was happy with whoever the faerie was hanging out with. Even if it wasn’t Evie.

The bluenette sniffled slightly, realizing that it was starting to get very difficult to see the papers before her and make any sense of what was written.

“Hey, Evie. Happy Birthday!” a voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts, and Evie quickly dabbed at her eyes with a thumb before turning around on her seat on the couch with as big of a smile as she could muster.

It was Ben there behind her. Poor, sweet, dumb Ben. So oblivious to all of the inner turmoil that Evie was experiencing at this moment.

“Thank you, Ben!” Evie cheerfully expressed her gratitude, pleased that Ben had remembered but ultimately wishing that he was Mal right now.

“What are you doing?” Ben questioned, and Evie sniffed slightly, trying to look like it was not because she was about to break down.

“Oh, just working on a few things that you needed me to sign,” Evie informed him with a light chuckle, trying to keep any of the hurt or sad emotion out of it. Ben furrowed his brow as he eyed her, tilting his head ever so slightly.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. You’re sweet for asking, though,” Evie assured him, turning her back to him as she looked through the paperwork. She could feel Ben’s gaze penetrating her back like lasers, but he didn’t say anything as he headed over to his desk.

Evie settled down at a table, trying to throw her mind entirely into her task. However, the more that she tried to avoid focusing on Mal and Uma and whatever fun that Mal must be having without Evie, the more that Evie concentrated on the fact that she was all alone in Ben’s office not having any fun and likely getting replaced.

“You seem like something’s bothering you,” Ben acknowledged, and Evie didn’t say anything in response, deciding ultimately to avoid bringing any more attention to the subject than she had to.

Evie just sat there, rereading the first line on the document over and over again to herself. Her eyes started to get even more clouded as she sat there and looked at them, her heart clenching as she thought of being alone and without her best friend in the entire world and her younger sister.

Evie sniffled, and she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder as well as a presence there at her side. At the comfort, Evie couldn’t help but finally completely break down, and she held her face in one hand, trying to keep away the tears. She was quickly brought into a strong embrace, and she clutched onto Ben tightly, hiding her face against him as she enjoyed his hug despite wishing that it was Mal there instead.

At least Ben hadn’t left her. And Carlos and Jay. Evie was beyond thankful to have Ben here right now, but she also wished that she hadn’t have broken down right there in front of him.

Evie guessed that she was going to have to learn to let Mal have other friends. Even if it did mean that Mal would leave Evie.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

“Hey, Eves?” Carlos knocked at the door before strolling into Evie’s place at Mal’s castle. Evie looked up somewhat blankly and dejectedly as she saw Carlos and Jay standing there in the doorway, smiles on their faces as they eyed the bluenette.

“Happy birthday!” Jay offered up, and Carlos sent her some jazz-hands.

“Hey, Carlos. Hi, Jay. Thank you,” Evie greeted, her voice a bit heavy and devoid of the usual emotion that it was so infamous for practically spewing from it.

It was later that day, and Evie had left Ben’s study in favor of catching up on a few orders at _Evie’s Four Hearts_. Needless to say, it was very boring and dull work, despite the fact that she usually treasured the time that she could spend creating. Everything seemed to be boring and futile now that she had been replaced.

Jay’s and Carlos’s smiles dropped slightly as they shared a glance. However, they were plastered back on quickly and Carlos stepped forward slightly uncertainly.

“Hey, you ought to break away from work for a little while. We haven’t gotten to see you all day. We’re all going out, so why don’t you come?” Carlos asked. Evie simply tilted her head a bit, trying to figure out where they wanted her to go with them to.

“We’re all heading out to the Waffle Hut,” Jay told her, almost as if he could read her mind, and Carlos nodded, looking at Evie with a toothy grin. Evie brightened slightly, thinking that maybe this was her chance to see Mal and maybe spend some time together.

“Is Mal coming with you?” Evie asked hopefully, and Jay shook his head in response. Evie immediately felt all of her hopes come brutally crashing down to the ground.

Evie sighed deeply, contemplating whether she really wanted to go with them. Truthfully, Evie didn’t feel like going anywhere. She didn’t really want to do anything but spend time with Mal, but that obviously wasn’t about to happen now that the faerie only wanted to spend time with Uma.

Evie finally shook her head, giving them both a resolute negative for her answer. Carlos and Jay both immediately looked concerned, and Jay stepped forward, placing a hand on Evie’s shoulder.

“You seem like you’re feeling down. Why don’t you come along? You might feel better by getting your mind off of whatever it is,” Jay suggested with that usual calm and wise aura he had when he was playing the role of big brother as he so often did.

“I’m fine, guys,” Evie assured them, and the boys raised their eyebrows at her. “Really! I’m fine. I’m just going to stay here and work on these dresses,” Evie told them, sighing deeply before starting her sewing of a hem on a piece of clothing. Carlos and Jay looked at one another with worry, and Carlos spoke up.

“Are you sure? It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Carlos expressed.

“And don’t forget about those wonderful, warm, fluffy, airy pancakes with the glistening sugary syrup coating them,” Jay exaggerated to her, and Evie allowed herself to wander onto that track for just a moment before she regained her senses. Then, offering him a minute smile, she shook her head regretfully.

“Okay, then,” Jay spoke, and squeezed Evie’s shoulder fondly.

“Call us if you change your mind and we’ll come pick you up,” Carlos told her just before they both headed out the door.

Evie almost felt like crying. She had pushed away the boys. But she knew that she would be no fun at all considering the way she was feeling now. She would just ruin their fun. And besides, she certainly didn’t feel like going because she was feeling so terrible.

Evie wiped at her eyes carefully and returned to her sewing as she tried to keep the tears at bay.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

“Why couldn’t you get her to come?” Mal demanded, her and Uma standing before the two boys as everyone around them scrambled about in an attempt to set up the last-minute birthday party decorations in the ballroom.

Harry was on top of a ladder, trying to tack in one side of the banner, while Gil was on another ladder, attempting to put up the other side. Celia and Dizzy were trying to set up a snack table in the midst of themselves as well as Hades sneaking bites of snacks. Ben was arranging the presents and trying to figure out what order to put them in. Audrey and Jane were trying to set out some pre-prepared cups of Hawaiian punch. Lonnie had just come in with a ton of Oreo cookie boxes piled high.

“It’s just that! We couldn’t get her to come!” Jay told her, and Mal sighed deeply, sharing a somewhat exasperated glance with Uma.

“There had to have been some reason she didn’t want to. Where did you tell her that you were going to take her?” Mal questioned, and Uma placed her hands on her hips.

“Excuse me!” Lonnie called out, and they all stepped back as she stumbled by with her leaning tower of Oreos. They watched her for a moment before returning to their conversation.

“Well, genius here said the Waffle Hut. Seriously, is that your go-to for random places people went or are going?” Carlos asked, and Jay shrugged, holding his hands up in a defensive gesture.

“That’s odd. She usually loves to go to the Waffle Hut. Evie loves waffles,” Mal murmured to herself and Uma raised an eyebrow curiously.

Mal couldn’t understand why in the world that Jay and Carlos couldn’t get Evie to come. There was no logical reason for why Evie wouldn’t have. Evie loved waffles, she loved the boys, and she loved to spend time with her family. What could have possibly made her not want to come?

“I don’t know. She seemed really weird when we got to her place in your castle,” Jay acknowledged, and Mal furrowed her brow, immediately worried about her best friend.

“How?” Mal questioned curiously.

“Jay?! We’ve got a problem!” Audrey cried frantically and desperately as she tried to help Lonnie keep the Oreos from falling into the punch bowl. Jay looked at his pink princess, and he quickly rushed over to help her assist Lonnie.

Mal just watched him a bit blankly before turning her attentions to their younger brother.

“She was… Like almost depressed, and totally not like herself at all,” Carlos expressed, and Mal felt her chest tighten a bit as her stomach twisted. Mal knew that Evie was very rarely sad, and she couldn’t help but be very deeply concerned about the matter.

“You guys are talking about Evie? Yeah, she cried all over me earlier,” Ben stopped nearby Mal in his search for people that might need help. Mal’s eyes immediately narrowed accusingly as she felt anger swelling in her being. She couldn’t believe her moron husband hadn’t informed her of this prior to now.

“Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?” Mal voiced her irritations, barely keeping her voice under control. Ben’s eyes widened as he gazed at his wife in some fear.

“I didn’t have a chance to tell you since you’ve been so busy. Besides, I never thought anything of it, because she said it was just stress,” Ben informed her, and Mal gnawed at the inside of her cheek as she tried to rein in the impending sense of concern and great worry.

Mal sighed out of her nose before looking around the room. Everything seemed to be mostly in control now that Jay had rushed over to save Audrey from having Oreo Hawaiian punch, and Mal knew that Uma could handle things if they got out of that said control. Mal shook her head before meeting Uma’s eyes. Uma nodded understandingly.

“You go get her, Mal. We’ll keep an eye out around here,” Uma informed the faerie. Mal nodded to her gratefully before moving past the boys and heading toward Evie’s part of the castle quickly.

At this point, Mal was very worried about her best friend. What could have gone wrong with the girl during the time that Mal had last seen her? She had seemed fine earlier that day. But Mal did just whiz by her quickly before taking off down the hall…

But Evie would have stopped her or told her if something was wrong. Right? However, she quite obviously had something wrong at this point, but she hadn’t told Mal about it still.

Mal was reeling at the fact that Evie had actually cried on Ben over stress. Mal knew that Evie occasionally had bouts of stress, but she usually could sense her tears over it coming, and she would purposefully isolate herself to deal with them. Unless Mal was around. Then she’d just go and cry on her.

Mal rushed up the stairs, knowing she was drawing close to Evie’s room. After only a few more strides, Mal reached the door. Mal sighed and knocked carefully. Mal furrowed her brow at the fact that she hadn’t gotten an answer, and she was just about to raise her voice to see if Evie had even heard her when she heard it.

The definitive sound of crying.

Mal opened the door carefully and quietly, and she saw Evie sitting there in her chair before a project as she sniffled, sobbing deeply as she clutched on tightly to purple fabric. Mal felt her heart ache deeply for the girl, and she stepped forward, shutting the door gently. Evie looked up immediately, realizing that someone had come in, and her eyes widened as she looked upon Mal.

They stood there staring at one another for just a moment, and then Evie sniffed hard, withdrawing a handkerchief from her pocket and wiping her mascara-stained cheeks as she tried to pull herself together.

“Are you okay?” Mal questioned, stepping closer the girl, and Evie offered a completely fake smile that didn’t meet her eyes in the least.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Evie assured her, but it wasn’t very convincing given the fact that she had just been bawling her eyes out.

“What is it?” Mal asked, but Evie just kept on about her way, standing up as she faced her desk.

“It’s nothing,” Evie told Mal, starting to gather up the fabric and organize a bit of the things on her table.

After several moments of Evie not looking at her, Mal reached over and placed her hand on that of her best friend’s. Evie froze immediately, looking down at the appendage as her jaw went slack.

“Evie,” Mal uttered in an attempt to gain the other girl’s attention, and it seemed to have captivated the bluenette entirely. Evie slowly looked up at Mal, and the faerie could see the urge to cry etched in all of Evie’s features. Mal held Evie’s gaze firmly, pleading with her eyes for Evie to talk to her.

Evie looked at her for just a bit longer before Mal suddenly found herself squished in Evie’s tight embrace. Mal quickly wrapped her arms around her sister in return, allowing Evie to just hug it out since it was usually what the other girl needed most. Besides, it helped that Mal always enjoyed a good Evie hug.

“What’s wrong, Evie?” Mal murmured somewhere around Evie’s ear, and Mal felt the bluenette’s arms tighten around her.

Evie was quiet for a little while before finally, her every breath shaky, she spoke.

“You haven’t spent any time with me at all,” Evie finally brokenly expressed, and Mal felt her stomach twist terribly as she realized just how neglected Evie was feeling.

Mal had been spending so much time on the surprise party for Evie that she had forgotten about spending time with Evie herself. Mal felt herself almost shrink in shame as she loosened her hold on Evie slightly.

“And I know it’s not right of me at all to be upset. You have the right to spend time with whoever you want to. I should be happy for you. I love you, and I want you to be happy. Even if it’s with Uma instead of me,” Evie explained, resting her head on Mal’s shoulder as another sob wracked her frame. Mal reached up, stroking Evie’s hair the best she could considering the fact that Evie was so much taller than her.

Mal’s breath hitched as she realized exactly what must have been bothering Evie. Mal’s every excuse for passing Evie by or having to get away quickly for the party preparation had to do with Uma and something the faerie was doing with her. Mal immediately realized precisely what must have made Evie feel the way she had.

“Evie… Do you think… Do you think I am replacing you with Uma?” Mal asked, finally voicing the terrible question that had entered her mind with Evie’s last statement. If Evie’s hard sob was any indicator, the answer was a pure yes.

“Oh, Evie,” Mal sighed, hugging her best friend tighter than ever as she tried to wordlessly convey just how much she loved and valued Evie as her one and only sister. Evie shook her head, sniffling pitifully as she broke down there against Mal.

Mal held her for a bit longer before pulling away slightly and resting her forehead against Evie’s, locking her emerald gaze on Evie’s soft mocha.

“Evie, I love you more than anyone in this entire world besides two other people,” Mal started, and Evie just listened, her eyes glassy as she watched her best friend.

“And I want you to know that I would never, ever even remotely think of replacing you with Uma,” Mal firmly told her, and Evie nodded barely, soaking in the words.

“You are completely irreplaceable, and my one and only big sister,” Mal expressed, and Mal could see Evie’s eyes visibly soften as she looked at the faerie. Mal kept Evie’s gaze locked firmly onto hers as she tried to think of something to say to truly make Evie understand just how important the bluenette was in Mal’s life.

“You are valuable,” Mal spoke slowly, trying to make sure this was getting through Evie’s head, “you are important,” Mal could feel Evie’s heart mending a bit as her hold tightened, “and you are the best person I’ve ever known.

“So, no. I would never replace you with Uma, because you are the one and only Evie that I need in my life desperately,” Mal explained, and Evie nodded, growing somewhat stronger in her resolve as she eyed Mal. Mal cracked a small smile, relieved that Evie at least seemed to be coming around.

“Who do you think keeps me on the path of good, E? Who do you think helps me most to make the right decisions? It might be Ben partially, but it’s you,” Mal assured her, and Evie allowed herself a short breathless laugh.

“No, M, that’s you. You’re a pure diamond. Even if you do have your occasional moments of weakness, you always come back stronger than ever and without a scratch,” Evie expressed, and Mal shook her head with a bit of humor.

“More like a diamond in the rough. But you, Evie, you have a heart of gold that keeps the diamond from turning to a lump of coal,” Mal told her heartfeltly, and Evie nodded solemnly, despite Mal’s rather humorous wording of it all.

“I love you,” Mal expressed, and Evie immediately reciprocated.

“And I love you,” Evie replied wholeheartedly, and Mal pulled her closer to hug her tightly.

“Let’s go meet the guys at the Waffle Hut,” Mal told her finally, and Evie nodded easily as she slowly let go of the shorter girl.

“I’d really like a waffle right now,” Evie told her, and Mal grinned at her big sister lovingly.

“Jay got me to seriously wanting one just a few minutes ago. He was literally killing me with his description of an airy, fluffy, syrupy waffle,” Evie started to describe intricately, and Mal allowed her to babble on as Mal withdrew her phone quickly.

“ _We’re coming_.”

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

“E, we’ve got to swing by the ballroom before we go,” Mal took Evie’s arm, stopping her before she reached the door so they could veer down the hallway toward the ballroom. Evie looked at her questioningly, but quickly complied, following along. Evie didn’t have the slightest clue what could possibly necessitate them heading for the ballroom, but Evie was perfectly willing to go with her.

“Sure. What’s up?” Evie asked, and Mal sighed slightly as they headed down the hall.

“Well, Audrey asked me to check and see if I saw her bracelet in there. She thinks she left it when she was teaching Jay how to waltz the other day,” Mal replied, and Evie nodded her head understandingly. Evie and Mal strode, arm in arm as they strode toward the ballroom.

Evie felt infinitely better after their talk. But there was only one niggling thought that continued to poke and prod at the edges of her mind. Why had Mal been spending so much time with Uma without Evie?

Just as Evie was about to voice that question, they reached the ballroom. Evie had reached the door first, which was strange considering the fact that Mal had just been right beside her and even with her. But Evie just reached for the doorknob, not bothering to question why there was a change of positions.

As soon as she stepped in, she realized all of the lights were off. Evie furrowed her brow as she instinctually grabbed Mal’s hand, her fear of the pitch dark overcoming her a bit in her traumatizing memories of Cruella’s coat closet, and she reached over towards where she knew the lights were.

Evie flicked them on, and her eyes widened as an entire crowd of people was standing in the center of the ballroom staring at her with big grins.

“SURPRISE!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EVIE!!!” everyone, including Mal standing there just beside her, yelled at the top of their lungs. Everyone whooped loudly as they rushed over to meet Evie.

Jay and Carlos reached her first, and they wrapped her tightly in their embrace. She hugged her brothers as firmly as she could considering the fact that one of her hands was already laced with Mal’s and that she was completely speechlessly bumfuzzled.

“Not quite the waffle hut, is it?” Jay joked, and Evie laughed in response, pressing her forehead against his shoulder.

“Are you disappointed?” Carlos questioned with a big mischievous grin, and Evie shook her head emphatically.

“Not at all,” Evie heartfeltly replied.

Next was Ben and he embraced her warmly. Evie smiled, reciprocating the gesture, before Celia and Dizzy both ran over and nearly tackled her as soon as he had released her. The two of them squealed as they held Evie tightly and Evie grinned one of those one-thousand-watt smiles.

Hades came over after that, and she hugged him tightly, his smile telling all that he would never say aloud as he eyed her proudly.

“So, how does it feel to be twenty?” Hades questioned, and Evie snorted, as she shook her head, holding him with her one arm available since her other was still firmly in Mal’s.

“No different than nineteen,” Evie replied with a giggle.

Audrey, Lonnie, and Jane came rushing over after he had let her go, and they embraced her firmly. Evie smiled widely as she realized that Lonnie was really there, even though she was super busy with college and sports now.

“Wow, it is so good to be back. And for your birthday!” Lonnie expressed excitedly, and Evie squeezed a little tighter in response.

“She’s getting so big!” Audrey joked, and Evie just chuckled. After all, Audrey was younger than Evie by around a year and certainly in no position to be talking about Evie growing up.

Harry and Gil finally came ambling over offering awkward side hugs, and Evie willingly went for that, too, knowing they were doing the best they could.

“Wishin’ ye a happy birthday, gorgeous face,” Harry told her fondly, and Evie knew that he meant nothing by the nickname. That boy had such eyes for Uma that they nearly fell out of his head and rolled after her when she left a room.

However, when Uma came up to her after those two, trying to give out one of those side hugs, Evie just raised an eyebrow, pulling away from Mal to actually grab Uma full-on. Uma stiffened for a moment, but Uma quickly relaxed significantly, allowing herself to reciprocate the embrace.

“Thank you, Uma,” Evie whispered, and Uma nodded in reply.

“It was mostly Mal. I just shared fifty-fifty of the work,” Uma joked quietly with a slight chuckle, and Evie offered her an extra tight squeeze before releasing her.

Evie then very slowly turned to face Mal as she looked at the shorter girl. Mal was just standing there, beaming at the bluenette as she watched Evie at her happiest. Evie stepped a bit closer to Mal before Mal opened up her arms. Evie wasted no time in embracing her warmly.

Evie knew now. She knew why Mal had supposedly ditched her for Uma. Mal had ditched Evie for Uma for Evie.

“Happy birthday, Evie,” Mal whispered lovingly, and Evie almost felt like crying all over again. Except this time, it was happy tears.

Because her sister was never replacing her. Not in a million years.


End file.
